Ashford

Ashford's population expanded in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in work life, housing tenure and marriage.

The population reached nearly 120,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Ashford increased by 15%, from almost 103,000 to 118,000.

The addition of about 15,000 people means this area's population was the third-fastest-growing in the South East and increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Ashford was home to, on average, 1.4 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Ashford

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Ashford increased by two years, from 38 to 40 years.

This rural area had a slightly higher average age than the South East and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 4,800 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 2,000.

About 16% of people in Ashford are aged between 40 and 49 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Ashford by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Ashford working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 16% to 12% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.0%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.9% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 14% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Ashford decreased by 4.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Ashford, the South East and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More single parents

Ashford saw the South East's second-largest rise in the proportion of single-parent households.

In 2011, just over 1 in 10 (10%) households in Ashford had a single parent, compared with 7.7% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising a married couple decreased from 42% to 38%.

Across the region, only Slough saw a greater rise in the proportion of single-parent households (from 8.7% to 13%).

During this period, Ashford went from having the 29th-highest to the 15th-highest percentage of single-parent households out of 309 English local authority areas.

The percentage of households with a single-parent in Ashford increased by 2.5 percentage points

Percentage of households in Ashford, the South East and England that had a single parent, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Ashford

The percentage of Ashford residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.7% to 3.5% between the last two censuses.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 6.8%, while the percentage of Ashford residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 91% to 90%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 2.5% in 2001 to 3.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Ashford that rented privately increased from 7.3% to 14% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in seven (14%) households lived in social housing, compared with 16% in 2001. The percentage of Ashford households that owned their home decreased from 74% to 68%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 10% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Ashford increased by 7 percentage points

Percentage of households in Ashford, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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